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The ASUS Zenbook Duo was easily one of my favorite laptops of 2024 as it was the first dual-screen notebook actually worth buying. But now at CES 2026, ASUS has given the second-gen model a complete revamp with practically all the upgrades and tweaks I’ve been hoping for. 

Like the rest of the Zenbook line, the 2026 Duo is getting ASUS’ Ceraluminum treatment on its lid, bottom and kickstand, which not only looks great but it adds an extra bit of durability and scratch resistance. There’s also an improved magnetic latch system and Bluetooth connection for its detachable keyboard to help keep it charged up and paired more reliably. However, the biggest upgrade is ASUS’ all-new "hideaway" hinge. Not only does it allow the system to unfold flat against a table, it also massively shrinks the gap between the laptop’s two 3K 144Hz Lumina Pro OLED displays to just 8.28 mm. That’s a reduction of 70 percent compared to the previous model and it makes the idea of using a dual screen laptop just that much more seamless and appealing than before. 

Another important upgrade is that despite having a significantly larger 99Whr battery (up from 75Whr on its predecessor), the overall footprint of the second-gen Zenbook Duo is actually five percent smaller than before. That makes it noticeably more compact without sacrificing on weight or thinness, which is staying pretty much the same at 3.6 pounds and 0.77 to 0.9 inches thick (depending on where you measure). Connectivity remains excellent as well, with ASUS including Wi-Fi 7, two USB-C with Thunderbolt 4, a USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 connector and even a full-size HDMI 2.1 jack. And for all the artists out there, the Zenbook Duo also supports stylus input via the ASUS Pen 3.0, so you can easily detach the wireless keyboard and use either screen as a built-in drawing tablet. That said, it’s currently unclear if the stylus comes included or not. 

Meanwhile on the inside, the Zenbook Duo features either an Intel Core Ultra 7 355 or Ultra 9 386H chip with up to 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. On top of that, ASUS increased the Duo’s TDP to 45 watts, which is another notable bump up over the original. So not only does it have a larger battery, its performance is getting a big boost as well, especially when combined with the much improved onboard graphics from Intel’s latest integrated Arc GPU. 

Here's how the new 2026 ASUS Zenbook duo (right) stacks up against the outgoing model (left). Sam Rutherford for Engadget

I know a lot of people out there still aren’t convinced that dual screen laptops need to be a thing, and that’s totally OK. But as the kind of person who feels like they are missing a limb when I’m traveling and away from my two monitors at home, the second-gen Zenbook Duo feels like a major refinement of an already great idea. It’s got a bigger battery, faster performance and a hugely streamlined design without gaining any bulkiness or weight. Out of all of the laptops I’ve seen at CES 2026, this is the one I most wish I could grab and start using right away. 

The one potential concern is that ASUS has yet to release pricing for the new Zenbook Duo or say when it will go on sale. So here’s hoping it won’t break the bank when it arrives sometime later this year. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/the-asus-zenbook-duo-got-a-fantastic-redesign-for-ces-2026-173000392.html?src=rss

Eric Migicovsky has been thinking a lot about friction. Specifically, he’s been thinking about how too much friction in the way of using a device can put people off wearing it altogether. The founder of Pebble is here at CES 2026 with a few new devices from the company he recently started to bring back the beloved smartwatch brand, including the Pebble Round 2 and the Index 01. That second one is a simple ring with a button on it that you push down to talk to Pebble’s AI whenever you want it to help you remember something.

In the sea of AI gadgets that clutter the showfloors of CES (and the current tech industry in general), the Index 01 is refreshingly simple. The prototypes I saw here in Las Vegas weren’t connected to phones, so they weren’t actually working. They also seemed a little unfinished, like there was still some polishing to do. But I was able to put a few on and push their buttons. I also checked out the one Migicovsky wears — more on that in a bit.

I have to caveat that the rings that Migicovsky and his team had for us to try on were way too large for me. I did manage to get sized and found out I was a Pebble size 7, while my colleague Dan Cooper was determined to be a size 11. These demo rings sat loosely on my finger — and Migicovsky was particular that I wear it on my index finger and not my thumb or middle finger.

I suspect that has to do with how you reach for and press the button. It’s much easier to push the key if it’s closer to your thumb. Since the idea of the Index 01 began as an app on the Pebble watch, Migicovsky has been working hard to figure out how best to make it easy to access. Back when it was an app, “friction points were having to use your other hand” to press the screen, he said. “We also experimented with gestures and voice activation, wake words,” he added. But as many of us are painfully familiar with, those triggers don’t always work well.

“The whole thing that drives this ring is it being something that you can rely on. It being something that you can incorporate into your… habits,” Migicovsky said. So putting a button right by your thumb not only makes sense, but might even be, in my opinion, a bit more accessible for people with, say, speech impediments or only one hand.

I have to admit I initially found the Index 01’s design to be a bit bulky-looking, and the rubbery button protrudes a lot more than I expected from looking at it in its glamor shots. It’s like in place of a diamond or a gemstone on the ring, there’s a weird little nipple that you twiddle around until you want to push it.

I did find the button easy to press, if that allays any of your concerns at all. But, really, the Index’s powers aren’t visible. It’s what happens after you push the button that matters.

Using the Pebble Index 01 ring

The actual demo was brief. Migicovsky prefaced things by telling me what he was about to ask, held up his hand to his mouth, pushed the button and asked me “What’s your favorite book these days?” I explained I had recently been reading Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi and then Migicovsky let go of the button.

After a few starts and stops due to internet woes, the companion app on his phone responded, showing a transcription of what we said, followed by an answer “That sounds like a fun read! I can create a note about the book you are reading if you’d like.”

I didn’t get to ask many more questions, and I think I’d need to live with an actual unit in my life to start to rely on it more. But I love the idea of a second brain or an AI assistant that’s always ready for my random thoughts at the push of a button. Migicovsky said the Index 01 is water resistant, so you never have to take it off, even in the shower. So for those times when you’re sudsing up and have a random stroke of inspiration about soap art, you can still tell the Index 01 to remember your Eureka moment.

Migicovsky said you can also double click the button (and then hold it) to access a different side of the AI. Instead of simply remembering things you tell it, the AI can try to provide answers. Pebble’s AI is powered by Claude, so the usefulness of these results is going to be dependent on that model.

Depending on how you use it, Migicovsky said the Index 01 can last for years — up to three if you’re not too heavy of a user. Since he doesn’t want for you to have to place the ring on a charger and forget to put it back on again, the device is not rechargeable. When you’re about a month away from running out of juice, the app will send you a warning and ask if you want to order a replacement. You’ll also be offered the option of sending it in for recycling.

That still feels a bit wasteful and potentially expensive, but Migicovsky’s thinking is that if you still are using the ring enough after two years to be thinking about extending its battery life, the price might be justifiable to you.

Why a Pebble AI ring instead of others?

It’s things like this that make me think Migicovsky (and the Pebble team) have the right approach to making an AI ring. Though the hardware is not the most advanced and there is a quaint simplicity to the software, there is a level of thought and care that feels important to any product’s success.

Migicovsky is quick to acknowledge that Pebble watches won’t be for everyone. That if you want a health-tracking device or something with a bright, colorful screen, you should consider something else. He’s even considering placing ads for other smartwatches on the website listing the new Pebble devices.

“Look — I’m the first person to call myself out when I fail,” Migicovsky wrote in a blog he posted last November. And when he spoke with Engadget, he also recognized that Pebble at one point might have tried to do too much. These days, there are other companies making smart rings that are all about tracking your sleep and fitness, and the Index 01 is not that. “And Pebble is absolutely 100 percent not that company.” Maybe with a renewed focus on a sustainable business model, Pebble actually has a chance to survive and continue making its AI ring and other devices.

Nowadays, Migicovsky just wants to make gadgets that will make you smile. And when I look at a cute little nyan cat wiggling about in its lo-fi, lo-res and low-frame-rate glory on the new Pebble smartwatches, I just feel warm inside.

The Index 01 is available for pre-order now at an early bird price of $75 and will cost $100 after it starts shipping in May.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/pebbles-founder-might-be-just-the-right-person-to-make-an-ai-ring-170104222.html?src=rss

As soon as I held the Pebble Round 2 in my hand, I suddenly realized what I’d been missing for the better part of a decade. I’ve always felt smartwatches should supplement, rather than supplant, your phone, but that’s an attitude that feels almost quaint these days. After all, Apple and Samsung believe everyone wants a watch that can do almost everything your phone can do. But that wasn’t the prevailing opinion at the dawn of the smartwatch era, either philosophically or from limitations in the technology. Back then, companies like Pebble, Vector, Basis and others all built devices that added a second screen to the device in your pocket, and were all the better for it. Thankfully, Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky agrees, and if his project to revive the company is successful, perhaps we’ll once again see these alternative approaches flourish. The first step on this very long road is the Pebble Round 2, which aims to be the standard bearer for a new generation of comparatively less smart, but fundamentally more useful, smartwatches.

Round 2 was announced on January 2, and is the second product in Core Devices’ (Migicovsky’s new company) lineup of revived Pebbles. The first was the revamped Time 2, aping the form of its more successful predecessor, while the Round 2 is an attempt to correct the mistakes of 2015’s Pebble Time Round. That watch, when it debuted, was met with disappointment from critics who loved its aesthetics but little else. Back then, building a Pebble with a round face required plenty of compromise, including a higher price, shorter battery life, fewer features and a massive bezel. A decade on, and the technology has come along sufficiently to render such compromises moot, making for a much better device overall. 

The new watch has a 1.3-inch color e-paper touchscreen which stretches to the end of the case. Its display has been bonded to the glass crystal, dramatically improving the viewing angles and reducing glare. You should expect to get two weeks of life on a single charge, but it remains just 8.1mm thick, and you can really feel that lack of heft when it’s in your hand. In fact, compared to so many of its smartwatch peers, you could almost unironically describe it as dainty, making its case size feel almost comically large. On the materials side, the case feels strong enough that I think it would withstand the rigors of daily life, and I’m quite smitten with both the polished rose gold and brushed silver finishes.

On one hand, it’s hardly the major reason to buy a watch, but I’m deeply smitten by how much text the Round 2’s display can render. Even the fanciest of smartwatches aren’t that willing to display big reams of text for your ease of reading. I was tickled to read a lengthy Slack message which reminded me, again, of what I’ve been missing for all of these years. Perhaps that’s a sign of the broader benefits a device like this offers, which is the ability to tweak its UI to what you need, rather than being tied by the UI designers in Cupertino and Mountain View.

There are plenty of omissions in the spec list, including no optical heart rate sensor, no GPS and no speaker. I’m not weeping over any of them: I’ve not used my smartwatch’s GPS in years and yes, and Pebble is swerving away from the health and fitness market. I don’t want to take calls from my wrist, either, and while the omitted heart rate sensor is harder to take given their ubiquity, it’s been done to ensure the watch is thinner than many of its competitors.

Migicovsky is candid about Pebble’s failure, saying the company spent too much to become a global hardware brand. He invested heavily in inventory in anticipation of blockbuster sales that never came, similar to Peloton’s post-COVID slump. This time around, the focus is on ensuring the company remains sustainable over the long term and, hopefully, building a succession of products. Rather than big investments, he’ll make small batches of devices to cater to pre-orders and won’t water down his philosophy in the hope of attracting a broad user base. He even said the Pebble website may include recommendations for alternative smartwatches from other companies to ensure he’s only catering to the faithful. 

Three Pebble Indexes side by side on a table. Daniel Cooper for Engadget

It’s his hope that this approach will give him the time and space to make more products, such as the already-announced Pebble Index 01. It’s a $75 ring equipped with a microphone, Bluetooth and a single push button, where users can record brief reminders to themselves. Rather than add weight and complexity with a rechargeable battery, each Index has a sealed-in cell that the company promises will last for up to two years. A month before the battery is due to expire, you’ll be asked if you want to buy a replacement, sending in the original for recycling. It’s an unusual arrangement but one that Migicovsky believes is more compelling than some others. After all, users aren’t saddled with any monthly subscription fees, and they only need to buy a new one if they’ve actually gotten the benefit out of their existing model. As with the revived Pebbles, the prevailing attitude is that nobody’s twisting your arm here.

Image of the rear sides of the Pebble Round 2 Daniel Cooper for Engadget

More broadly, Migicovsky has the time and money now to explore these product ideas free from the usual pressures. He has no investors or backers demanding instant returns and fast growth, giving him license to pursue his ideas as far as he wants to take them. And he is determined to return a small degree of whimsy to consumer electronics, building gadgets that are in some way fun. Let’s hope he succeeds, because the industry can’t survive another decade of homogeneity. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/pebble-seeks-to-remedy-the-wearable-industrys-original-sin-170000834.html?src=rss

The following article discusses themes of an adult nature.

Lovense has turned up to CES with a “companion doll,” a life-size sex doll that’s designed to be more than just a life size sex doll. The company has equipped it with its proprietary AI engine and promises “human-like cognition, emotional awareness and expressive behavior.” The doll, which in the marketing video is called Emily, is Lovense’s answer to the global loneliness crisis. It says, over time, a user’s relationship with the system will grow deeper as it learns to adapt to their needs. And that the doll is the natural evolution of the virtual companions that have, until now, “existed only on phones and screens.”

From a hardware standpoint, the doll uses a standard user posable skeleton for everywhere but inside the skull. Up top, there are various servos and mechanisms to give the doll the ability to slightly move their mouth while speaking, as well as some basic facial expressions. (You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Emily attempt a smize or a wink in a matter few would describe as flirtatious.) The company hasn’t spoken about the less delicate parts of her anatomy, but did say her built in Bluetooth can “integrate effortlessly with the full Lovense ecosystem” and can run for eight hours on a single charge.

The major focus, however, is on the AI part of the equation, explaining it will remember details of previous conversations to enable users to build a deeper bond with its user. In addition, you can even engage with the AI when you’re out and about, messaging it via the Lovense app. Oh, and you can even get “AI-generated selfies that mirror her real-world appearance” should you want. The company, in its materials, say that the doll will hopefully lead people out of their comfort zone and better equip them to engage with real people. 

Of course, it’s worth noting that Lovense’s track record with people’s most intimate data isn’t the best. In 2017, a Reddit user discovered the Lovense app was recording a private moment between them and their partner. In July 2025, another security flaw enabled hackers to hijack accounts without a password. The company addressed both issues at the time, but it’s one to consider if you’re thinking about forming a long-term relationship with one of its bots.

There’s no word on pricing or availability just yet —the company will be launching a pre-sale in the near future — but you can probably expect it to be fairly expensive.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lovense-launches-an-ai-companion-doll-at-ces-170000490.html?src=rss

Multiple of Satechi's Thunderbolt 4 docks are on Engadget's list of the best docking stations, so when the company announces a new accessory, it's usually worth a look. At CES 2026, Satechi is finally making the jump to Thunderbolt 5 with a new docking station and cable. The Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock with SSD Enclosure and Thunderbolt 5 Pro Cable leverage the faster speeds of Intel's cable tech, and in the case of the dock, also include extra benefits like space for SSD storage.

The CubeDock is made from a block of solid aluminum and is clearly supposed to evoke Apple's desktop Macs, like the new Mac mini. Satechi already made a Mac mini hub that can do some of the same things as CubeDock, but that accessory was focused on Thunderbolt 4. With the Thunderbolt 5 on the CubeDock, the new docking station can offer support for multiple 8K monitors, 180W smart power delivery and up to 120 Gb/s transfer speeds.

The back of a Satechi CubeDock displaying multiple types of ports. Satechi

The dock also features a microSD card slot, SD card slots and headphone jack on the front, with multiple other input options on the back, including Thunderbolt 5 ports and an ethernet port. If you're interested in extra storage, you can also pop off the bottom of the CubeDock and add up to 8TB of SSD storage.

To pair with the CubeDock, Satechi is also releasing its own Thunderbolt 5 cable. The Thunderbolt 5 Pro Cable supports up to 120 Gb/s uni-directional or 80 Gb/s bi-directional data transfers, 240W power delivery and either dual 8K/60Hz displays or a trio of 4K/144Hz displays.

The Satechi Thunderbolt 5 Pro Cable coiled on a white background. Satechi

Satechi says you can pre-order the Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock with SSD Enclosure on the company's website for $399.99, and it will ship in Q1 2026. The Thunderbolt 5 Pro Cable is available to order now for $39.99 from Satechi, Amazon and other retailers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/satechi-is-embracing-thunderbolt-5-at-ces-with-a-new-dock-and-cable-170000137.html?src=rss

Last year, PocketBook rocked up at CES with a series of large e-paper displays to display art on the walls of your home. This year, the company has turned up with a far larger, A1-sized model called the Duna, which it says mimics the “texture, depth and tonal richness of printed paper.” It’s intended to act as an upmarket alternative to those big screen TVs which display art when they’re not being used for their intended purpose. 

Unsurprisingly, such a fancy product also needs some fancy accessories, so it’s recruited Italian design house Pininfarina to help. It claims the credit for the Duna’s “precision-engineered aluminum frame” and its “elegantly stitched Alcantara.” To celebrate the pairing, the InkPoster App will enable you to view original design sketches from the Pininfarina archives on your screens. 

At last year’s CES, I saw the three smaller models in person and found them to be very promising. The colors are vibrant in a way you don’t expect from an e-paper display, and at a distance you could easily mistake these for a real canvas. Just don’t get too close to the screen itself, since you’ll still be able to see the pixels rather than brush strokes. I’m no expert, but I suspect the technology suits bold, blocky art styles — think modern artists like Modigliani — better than delicate, more antiquated forms.

As before, each InkPoster can be hung for up to a year on a single charge, refreshing from its library of licensed artwork according to your whims. Plus, you can use it as a digital photo frame, if you want to display your selfies at art gallery or movie poster sizes.

If you’re interested in buying one of the new models, you’ll have to wait until April, after the frames are exhibited at Milan Design Week in April. While we don’t have full pricing details right now, you can expect to pay something in the region of $6,000 for one.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/inkposter-launches-a-premium-41-inch-e-paper-display-for-your-home-170000292.html?src=rss

Corsair just revealed a gaming keyboard with a built-in Stream Deck controller at CES 2026. The Galleon 100 SD is a mechanical keyboard with a 5-inch screen, two rotary encoders and a full complement of Stream Deck buttons.

For the uninitiated, the Stream Deck is basically a collection of hot keys that execute various commands. It's been incredibly popular for streamers and the like, but it's also become a boon for PC gamers.

Corsair is advertising the Galleon 100 SD directly to gamers, so it boasts of hot keys being used to "access abilities, call in airstrikes and manage inventory without diving through menus." The Elgato Marketplace offers profiles for specific games, eliminating the need to manually program the buttons. The included screen can display relevant stats while playing.

However, this is a real Stream Deck. It has 12 big buttons, which can be programmed to do all kinds of things beyond gaming. People use it to stream, yes, but also to control smart home devices, assist with creative tasks and a lot more.

A keyboard thing. Corsair

It's also a true mechanical gaming keyboard with hyper-polling rates up to 8,000Hz, which the company says "transmits your keystrokes up to eight times faster" than standard releases. It features MLX Pulse keyswitches that have been "tuned for fast actuation and smooth yet tactile feedback."

Everything is housed in a durable aluminum frame with gasket housing and six layers of sound dampening. There's a cushioned palm rest and configurable RGB lighting.

The Galleon 100 SD is available right now, but there's a catch. It costs $350, which is a lot of dough for a gaming keyboard. For that amount of money you could buy an actual Stream Deck XL and a decent keyboard and still have plenty to spare.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/corsair-made-a-keyboard-with-a-built-in-stream-deck-163158296.html?src=rss

LG just announced its fastest and brightest OLED gaming monitor yet at CES, the 27-inch UltraGear GX7. The new QHD display, which uses LG Display's 4th-gen RGB Tandem 2.0 OLED tech, can hit 335 nits typical brightness and is DisplayHDR True Black 500 certified. At the same time, it offers an outstanding 540Hz refresh rate at QHD (720Hz at HD) and a .002ms grey-to-grey (GtG) response time. So in other words, about 5,000 times faster than the best human reflexes.  

Though a gaming monitor by design, the GX7 would make an excellent content creation monitor too thanks to the true 10-bit panel that delivers 99.5 percent DCI-P3 color gamma coverage and Delta E<2 color accuracy. It's also UL certified for anti-glare, flicker-free, low blue light, reduced blue light and reduced circadian stimulating blue light. Finally, it carries VESA's ClearMR 21000 certification for the highest motion-clarity tier, eliminating the faint blur that can occur around fast moving objects. And as you'd expect, it's NVIDIA G-SYNC and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro compatible.

Appearance wise, it's what LG calls "virtually borderless" and has adjustable height, tilt, swivel and pivot controls. For connectivity, you get Dual HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1 and Thunderbolt USB-C connectivity, along with two USB 3.0 downstream ports and a 4-pole headphone jack for audio and comms.

The RGB Tandem OLED technology in the UltraGear GX7 is designed for speed and brightness and should not be confused with LG's RGB V-Stripe OLED technology. The latter tech maxes out at 240Hz and is oriented more toward clarity of text and other display elements. The UltraGear GX7 is now available for pre-order at LG.com and anyone who orders before February 1st will receive a $299 27-inch FHD 240Hz gaming monitor for free. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/lgs-ultragear-gx7-is-its-fastest-and-brightest-oled-gaming-monitor-to-date-160059443.html?src=rss

When I first heard whispers about the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold, I immediately felt conflicted. On one hand it felt like the natural evolution of bi-fold phones like the Z Fold 7. But on the other, all this fancy tech comes with an even higher price — around $2,500 based on current conversion rates from Korean won — not to mention the added bulk you get from a third folding panel. So even as someone who has used a foldable as my daily driver for almost a decade straight, it felt like Samsung’s latest high-end phone was going backwards in terms of both portability and affordability. But then at CES 2026, I got a chance to go hands-on with the Galaxy Z TriFold and all of my concerns pretty much instantly disappeared because with this thing, flexing is believing.

My initial consternation comes in large part from using the Z Fold 7, which hit a major milestone this year thanks to a revamped design that doesn’t come with any added size or weight even when compared to comparable candybar-style phones like the Galaxy S25 Ultra. That’s a major breakthrough considering how hefty and chunky the original Galaxy Fold was back in 2019. And when you compare the Z Fold 7’s dimensions (7.58 ounces and 8.9mm thick when folded) to the new TriFold (10.9 ounces and 12.9mm when folded), there’s no doubt that Samsung’s new flagship foldable comes with a lot of extra bulk. To put things into context, we have to go back several generations to the Z Fold 5 just to find a comparable phone with similar thickness (13.4mm). And even then, that handset is still significantly lighter than the TriFold at 8.92 ounces. 

There's simply no denying that the Z TriFold (left) is a much bulkier device than the Z Fold 7 (right). Sam Rutherford for Engadget

But then I opened it up and my concerns were quickly pushed aside because suddenly you’re greeted with 10 inches of vivid AMOLED goodness. As a phone that can pull double duty as a tablet, the jump up from the Z Fold 7’s 8-inch main display cannot be understated. Not only does it make multitasking so much easier, when combined with Samsung’s DeX desktop mode, you basically get a miniature laptop experience from a device that fits in a pocket. Especially if you don’t mind carrying around a travel-friendly mouse and keyboard. Plus, you can connect the TriFold to an external display (either wired or wirelessly) to access even more screen space. Way more than with the Z Fold 7, I can honestly see myself leaving my PC at home and using the TriFold as my primary work device. 

Another important but easily overlooked upgrade on the Galaxy Z Trifold is the 4:3 aspect ratio for its 10-inch main display. Compared to the Z Fold 7 and its almost perfectly square screen, you just get so much extra room on the sides for widescreen movies and shows. I tested this out by watching the trailer for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, and even though that movie uses a super wide aspect ratio due to being filmed entirely on IMAX cameras, the viewing experience was just so much better. Peak watchability is something the regular Z Fold line has sort of left by the wayside as the company moved to larger exterior displays, which resulted in the series’ primary screen becoming more square. The one downside though is that the TriFold may make you more of a resolution snob, as it’s a lot easier to tell the difference between 1080p and 2K or 4K on a larger 10-inch panel. 

The final pillar of the TriFold’s kit is all the engineering that Samsung put into making it easy to open and close. Simply moving from one hinge to two while adding a third folding panel undersells the complexity of its design. Samsung actually uses two different types of magnets that push or pull depending on where they are, which makes accessing the TriFold’s primary display practically just as easy as on the Z Fold 7. That’s no small feat. Opening and shutting this thing is just so satisfying on a tactile level, and that’s before you consider that there’s basically no downgrade in terms of image quality. 

While there’s only one way to unfurl the TriFold, which might seem confusing at first, Samsung addressed that too by throwing up a warning and making the whole phone vibrate if you try to do it wrong. And then there are components like the glass-reinforced carbon panels Samsung uses to add strength and durability to its chassis while keeping it as thin as possible. The one potential concern in the future is that unlike Samsung’s older foldables, there’s not as much room for improvement to shrink its dimensions much further, as the TriFold’s slimness is currently limited by the size of its USB-C jack. So if the next model wants to make big gains there, it may need to go completely portless.

Here's what The Odyssey trailer looks like on the Z TriFold (right) compared to the Z Fold 7 (left). It's such a better experience. Sam Rutherford for Engadget

On a certain level, I kind of hate how much I like the Galaxy Z TriFold. I really don’t want to go back to bigger, heavier phones that are even more bulky and expensive than the Z Fold 7. But the appeal is impossible to deny and for people who love a good multitasker, I can easily see how these tradeoffs are worth the upside of Samsung’s latest apex foldable. 

The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold is currently on sale in South Korea, though we’re still waiting for official pricing and availability for the US and North American market.

The Galaxy Z TriFold is one of many new technologies Samsung announced at CES 2026. On the home entertainment side of things, the company revealed updated OLED TVs and showed off a massive 130-inch Micro RGB TV, the latter of which representing a trend we’re seeing at the show this year. There’s also a new Samsung soundbar that offers impressive bass performance sans subwoofer. Samsung’s Music Studio 5 and 7 speakers have unique designs that could blend in nicely with your home decor, and the forthcoming Galaxy Book 6 series of laptops are thin-and-light notebooks powered by Intel Panther Lake chips.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-z-trifold-hands-on-flexing-is-believing-at-ces-2026-224343480.html?src=rss

Jensen Huang took to the CES stage on Monday to share the latest from NVIDIA, and while the presentation was more a refresher of technologies the company has been working on for the past few years, there were a couple of notable announcements.

NVIDIA announced Alpamayo, a family of open-source reasoning models designed to guide autonomous vehicles through difficult driving situations. The centerpiece of the release is Alpamayo 1 , a 10-billion parameter chain-of-thought system NVIDIA says is capable of approaching driving more like a human being would. The model works by breaking down unexpected driving situations into a smaller set of problems before finding the safest path forward. At each step of the way, the model can explain its reasoning.

A sister model named AlpaSim allows developers to do closed-loop training for driving scenarios that are rarely encountered in real life. Huang said the 2025 Mercedes Benz CLA will be the first vehicle to ship with NVIDIA’s entire AV stack, including Alpamayo. "Our vision is that someday, every single car, every single truck, will be autonomous," Huang said.

Following the Alpamayo announcements, a pair of BD-1 droids from Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order joined Huang on stage. We saw one join the executive at last year’s CES. After that, Huang turned to Vera Rubin. NVIDIA first announced the GPU architecture in 2024, and now the company has begun production on a super computer that makes use of the new tech. One Vera CPU has 88 custom Olympus cores and 1.5TB of system memory for a total of 227 billion transistors. Meanwhile, one Rubin GPU features 336 billion transistors. Each Vera Rubin supercomputer has a pair of both components.

Following the presentation, NVIDIA held a separate briefing where it announced DLSS 4.5 and G-Sync Pulsar. The latest version of NVIDIA’s upscaling technology was trained on a second-generation transformer model, which should reduce ghosting and shimmering, leading to a more stable image, even when there’s a lot of movement on screen. As part of DLSS 4.5, NVIDIA is also adding support for 6x multi-frame and dynamic generation. The two features will arrive sometime in the spring. The former allows a 50-series GPU to generate five frames for every traditionally rendered frame. The idea here is to allow a powerful GPU like the RTX 5090 to saturate a 4K, 240HZ display with as many frames as possible. Dynamic frame generation, meanwhile, is exactly what it sounds like. DLSS 4.5 can dynamically scale the number of generated frames to fit the scenario. In demanding scenes, your 50-series GPU will generate more frames, while scaling back during less hectic ones so it only computes what it needs.

As for G-Sync Pulsar, it’s the latest improvement to NVIDIA’s flicker reduction technology. By pulsing a display’s backlight, NVIDIA says it can deliver perceived motion clarity relative to 1,000Hz, leading to greater clarity. Those same displays will also ship with the ability to automatically adjust their brightness and color temperature to ambient lighting conditions. Pre-orders for the first batch of G-Sync Pulsar displays will open on January 7.

Update 01/06/26 9:30AM: Added information about DLSS 4.5 and G-SYNC Pulsar.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/everything-nvidia-announced-at-ces-2026-225653684.html?src=rss

CES 2026 officially opens today, but much of the show’s biggest announcements already landed during Monday’s press conferences and early events. AI was everywhere, chipmakers dominated the schedule and a handful of brands used the pre-show window to quietly drop meaningful hardware updates.

Below are the biggest announcements and trends from January 5, plus a few standout hands-ons from Pepcom and CES Unveiled.

LG doubles down on AILG's CLOiD robot.LG

LG’s World Premiere keynote leaned hard into its vision of “Affectionate Intelligence,” with AI positioned as the connective tissue across TVs, appliances and even robotics. While most of the hardware was announced ahead of time, the company used the stage to show how its ideas fit together, including updated OLED TVs, Micro RGB panels and its ultra-thin Wallpaper TV.

The most memorable moment, though, was CLOiD, LG’s humanoid home robot, which capped off the presentation with demos that were more theatrical than practical. As usual for LG at CES, the vision was ambitious, even if much of it still feels a few years away.

NVIDIA pushes deeper into physical AINVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang presents at CES 2026, wearing a black snakeskin-like jacket.NVIDIA

NVIDIA’s CES keynote was long, dense and firmly focused on AI infrastructure rather than consumer GPUs. CEO Jensen Huang introduced the Vera Rubin supercomputer platform, alongside updates to NVIDIA’s open AI models, robotics tools and autonomous vehicle stack.

Between discussions of “physical AI,” self-driving systems and massive data center hardware, NVIDIA made it clear it sees CES as a place to define the future of computing, not just sell graphics cards. If you were hoping for new GeForce news, this wasn’t the keynote for you.

Intel tries to reset the PC narrativeImage of a Core Ultra Series 3Intel

Intel’s press conference followed NVIDIA’s with a more focused pitch: the launch of Core Ultra Series 3 processors, also known as Panther Lake. Built on Intel’s 18A process — that’s less than 2nm — the chips are designed to power the next wave of AI PCs, with improved graphics, better efficiency and stronger local AI performance.

The message was clear: Intel wants to convince partners and consumers that it’s back in the game for high-end laptops, even as competition from AMD, Qualcomm and Apple continues to intensify.

AMD closes the night with AI-first siliconAMD Ryzen AI 400AMD

AMD wrapped up press day with a keynote that mixed familiar AI rhetoric with meaningful chip announcements. Highlights included new Ryzen AI 400 laptop processors and updated desktop chips, including the Ryzen 7 9850X3D for enthusiasts.

As with NVIDIA and Intel, AMD leaned heavily into AI across cloud, PCs and edge devices. The difference was execution. AMD’s announcements felt more immediately relevant to products shipping this year.

Sony remains focused on AfeelaSony Honda Mobility Afeela Press Conference at CES 2026 Afeela

Sony’s CES presence once again centered on Sony Honda Mobility and the Afeela electric vehicle. The company showed an updated prototype and shared progress updates, including expanded delivery plans and deeper entertainment integrations like PlayStation Remote Play.

For longtime CES watchers, it was a familiar story — the Afeela was first showcased here in 2020, after all. Sony’s traditional consumer electronics took a back seat, while mobility and software remained the headline.

Lego makes its CES debut with Smart BricksLego introduced the Smart Brick at CES 2026.Lego

Lego held its first-ever CES press conference and used it to unveil Smart Bricks, part of a new “Smart Play” initiative that adds sensors, audio and wireless communication to traditional Lego pieces.

The system is launching with Star Wars sets later this year and is designed to work without apps or screens. It’s a notable shift for Lego and one of the more genuinely surprising announcements of the day.

Other notable CES day 0 news

Outside of the main press conferences, several companies made quiet but notable announcements (though some was Sunday news that hit the wires after the East Coast midnight hour). Samsung continued its CES rollout with new TVs, speakers and laptops. Anker drew attention with updated chargers and power accessories. Amazon shared incremental updates tied to Alexa and smart home hardware.

Meanwhile, Engadget’s team got hands-on with dozens of products at the Pepcom mini-show, from oddball gadgets to early looks at devices launching later this year.

Press day may be over, but CES is just getting started. The show floor opens today, with Lenovo, automotive tech, smart home gear and plenty of unexpected demos still to come. We’ll be publishing hands-ons, deep dives and daily recaps all week.

You can follow along with our CES 2026 liveblog or check back on Engadget for the latest updates as they happen.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ces-2026-day-0-the-biggest-news-you-missed-from-the-shows-monday-press-conferences-142811448.html?src=rss

Ring turned up to CES with a whole host of announcements, including a revamped range of home sensors. Ring Sensors (for that is their name) is a new lineup of tools, built on Amazon’s Sidewalk low-power networking protocol. That includes updated versions of its door, window and break glass sensors, as well as a new OBD-II car alarm, motion detectors and panic buttons. You’ll be able to pre-order the new car alarm today, while the rest of the new sensors will be available at some point in March. And, in tandem with that news, Amazon is announcing that Sidewalk is expanding outside of the US, starting in Canada and Mexico.

At the same time, the company is launching a number of enhancements to its app platform, including the Ring Appstore. This will let users purchase and integrate with third-party apps which have been built to cater to “specific use cases, from small business operations to everyday needs around the home.” The company added that, in the coming weeks, users will be able to browse a growing number of apps designed to help “you get more value from your Ring cameras.”

The company is also throwing more AI into its system to better coordinate its alerts, including Unusual Event Alerts. These will learn from the patterns around your home and, when it spots something out of the ordinary, send you a ping. Active Warnings, meanwhile, will use computer vision to identify potential threats and offer “specific warnings based on details like location and actions.”

Finally, Ring has teamed up with Watch Duty, a non-profit alert platform designed to share useful information about local wildfires. The pair have added a Fire Watch feature to the Neighbors app to enable communities keep each other in the loop about local fire and smoke events. Ring users are encouraged to share details from their own Ring cameras to “support first responders on the ground.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/ring-relaunches-its-suite-of-smart-home-sensors-140000667.html?src=rss

We see plenty of far-out ideas on the CES show floor, and this year Razer brought in a concept piece called Project Motoko. The device is Razer's take on blurring the line between a gaming headset and an AI-powered wearable for daily life. Or it's a way for Ghost in the Shell fans to feel affronted by Razer taking The Major's name in vain, take your pick. 

Project Motoko is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon platforms. The headset has a pair of first-person view cameras positioned at eye level that can support real-time object and text recognition. It also has a wide field of attention that can capture things happening beyond the normal human eye's peripheral vision, and its microphone array is designed to capture both near and distant audio. In addition to taking in environmental details, Project Motoko can also operate as a wearable AI assistant, and the model is compatible with several different chatbots. The company's press release noted that it can integrate with Grok, OpenAI and Gemini.

"Project Motoko is more than a concept, it’s a vision for the future of AI and wearable computing," Nick Bourne, Razer's global head of mobile console division, said in the press release about the device. "By partnering with Qualcomm Technologies, we’re building a platform that enhances gameplay while transforming how technology integrates into everyday life. This is the next frontier for immersive experiences."

Sometimes concept designs we see at CES remain just that: thought experiments with no plan for commercial release. However, according to a rep from Razer: "Our goal is to bring this headset to market in the near future, with a dev-kit available first followed by a full retail release." It should be interesting to see if Razer does commit to Project Motoko in the longer term. Razer is also well-established as a brand for serious gamers, so seeing the company explore making an AI wearable that could appeal to a broader audience, if still a geeky one, is an intriguing move.

Update, January 6, 2026, 1:08PM ET: Added statement from Razer rep about future commercial prospects.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/razers-project-motoko-is-a-concept-gaming-headset-that-doubles-as-an-ai-wearable-140000534.html?src=rss

Razer is once again thinking big about what a gaming chair can do, and its concept for CES 2026 isn't just a chair but an entire multisensory experience to match whatever's happening on-screen. The concept, called Project Madison, combines reactive lighting, spatial audio and multi-zone haptic feedback to make the player feel more immersed in the in-game environment. We're talking Razer Chroma light strips along the head flaps, THX Spatial Audio for 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound and six haptic motor actuators powered by Razer Sensa HD Haptics to bring the physical sensations of a game to life.

One can only imagine the price tag on such a setup. Actually, I'd rather not. Project Madison isn't a product you can buy right now anyway, but Razer did bring a real — albeit far less flashy — new(ish) gaming chair to CES too. The company has updated its Iskur V2 lineup with the Iskur V2 NewGen, which features the same dynamic lumbar support and dual-density cold-cured foam seat cushion that it's known for, but now wrapped in Razer's Gen-2 EPU Leather with CoolTouch Technology for a long-lasting cooling effect. 

Razer's Iskur V2 NewGen chair in Light Gray, Black/Green, Black and Quartz.Razer

Per Razer, "The chair’s material delivers high thermal effusivity, keeping it cool to the touch for hours of play." That CoolTouch faux leather is also coming to the less expensive Iskur V2 X, with the Iskur V2 X NewGen. Pre-orders for both chairs are now open, though the company hasn't yet said when they'll ship. The $650 Razer Iskur V2 NewGen comes in Black/Green, Black, Quartz and Light Gray, while the $350 Iskur V2 X NewGen is available in Black/Green, Black and Quartz.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/razers-project-madison-concept-chair-has-reactive-lighting-immersive-audio-and-multi-zone-haptics-140000118.html?src=rss

NVIDIA has unveiled the G-Sync Pulsar, which it calls the “latest evolution of [its] pioneering VRR (variable refresh rate) technology,” at CES 2026. The new tech promises a gaming experience that’s free of stutter with buttery smooth motion, which is made possible by pulsing the display’s backlight. G-Sync Pulsar displays have multiple horizontal backlight sections that are pulsed independently from top to bottom, unlike traditional displays whose backlight is always on. When the backlight is always active, the image fades from one frame to the next. The displays with the new tech give pixels in a frame enough time to stabilize before they’re backlit so that they’re shown in their right locations, effectively reducing monitor-based motion blur.

The company says G-Sync Pulsar can effectively quadruple your refresh rate. If you’re playing at 250 fps, that means it can deliver a perceived effective motion clarity of over 1,000 Hz. That enables easier tracking and shooting in-game, making displays with the technology especially suited for esports. You can see the difference in motion in Counter-Strike 2 between a 360Hz monitor without G-Sync Pulsar and one with the technology switched on in the video below.

The first four displays designed specifically to support G-Sync Pulsar and Ambient Adaptive Technology, which allows users to automatically adjust color temperature and brightness based on ambient lighting, will be available starting on January 7. Acer, AOC, ASUS and MSI will each be releasing a 27-inch 2,560 × 1,440 IPS display, which comes with a 360Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of peak brightness in HDR.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/nvidias-g-sync-pulsar-tech-can-minimize-motion-blur-for-gamers-140000058.html?src=rss

A Paris court has found 10 people guilty of cyberbullying Brigitte Macron, wife of President of France Emmanuel Macron, the BBC reports. The judge found that the defendants made false claims about Macron's gender and sexuality, and "malicious remarks" about the 24-year age gap between Macron and her spouse.

Of the ten defendants, only one received a firm prison sentence of six months, according to LeMonde. Eight others received suspended sentences (effectively probation in France) of four to eight months, while the 10th person received a fine and was required to attend a sensitivity training course. Three of the “instigators” found guilty will lose access to their social media accounts for six months.

Key to the lawsuit is the fringe belief that Brigitte Macron was born a man — proponents for some reason believe Macron is Jean-Michel Trogneux, her older brother — and transitioned to living as a woman at some point later in life. This style of "transvestigation" is an unfortunately common type of online conspiracy theory, a roundabout way to both spread hateful rhetoric about transgender people and bully cisgender people at the same time. The campaign against Macron has the added twist of her age: Brigitte Macron is 72, 24 years older than President Macron. The pair married in 2007, but their age difference has been an ongoing narrative throughout Emmanuel Macron's political career.

In July 2025, Macron also filed a defamation lawsuit in the US against Candace Owens, a right-wing podcaster and conspiracy theorist. Owens has made multiple attempts since 2024 to spread false claims about Macron's gender, and has said that she's willing to stake her "entire professional reputation" that she's right.

Correction 01/06/26 8:43: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the length of the sentences. We regret the error.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/paris-court-finds-10-people-guilty-of-cyberbullying-brigitte-macron-195500994.html?src=rss

Segway, the maker of Steve Wozniak's favorite mode of self-balancing transport, has released a new series of robotic lawn mowers under its Navimow brand, designed for all manner of Roomba-esque mowing action. The lineup includes four residential series and was unveiled at CES 2026.

Navimow's lineup includes the flagship X4 Series for large yards up to 1.5 acres in size. Its AWD system can handle slopes up to 40 degrees and it sports dual 180-watt cutting motors. The largest mode, the X450 will retail for $3,000. A smaller X430 rated for yards up to 1 acre will go for $2,500.

The Navimow i2 series comes in AWD and LiDAR variants and is designed for "everyday" lawn maintenance. The AWD variant's three-wheel-drive system can handle 24-degree slopes and is designed to handle muddy or slippery terrain. The larger i2 AWD model, called the i210 AWD is rated for yards up to a quarter-acre in size, and will retail for $1,300. A smaller model dubbed the i206 AWD can handle yards as large as 0.15 acres and will go for $1,000.

The i2 LiDAR variant can scan 200,000 points per second to create a detailed spatial map of your yard, allowing it to navigate complex paths and, crucially, work at night. That model is rated for yards up to 0.37 acres in size. Pricing has not been announced for the i215 LiDAR model.

Finally, the H2 series features three vision technologies integrated into one model, with LiDAR, Network RTK and cameras combining into what Navimow is calling LiDAR+. The H2 is built for slopes up to 24 degrees and can handle yards up to half an acre in size. The H2 is being released in two models. The H210 for yards up to 0.25 acres, and the H220 for half-acre yards. Pricing for the H2 series has not been released yet.

The i2 AWD Series and the X4 Series will be available for pre-order beginning January 16.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/segways-navimow-brand-unveiled-a-new-line-of-robotic-lawn-mowers-at-ces-2026-130007014.html?src=rss

Ugreen makes plenty of things, but you’re probably familiar with the name in the context of its NAS systems (should that be NASes? Who knows). Naturally, the company has turned up to CES 2026 with the former, but it’s also branching out into home security. It’s announcing SynCare, an AI infused all-in-one surveillance platform which, it rather boldly claims, will become an “attentive, integrated guardian” of your home.

Leading the pack is the SynCare Video Doorbell with head-to-toe 4K video, intelligent detection and 24/7 recording — especially if you’ve got it hooked up to your Ugreen NAS. That works in tandem with SynCare cameras offering 4K video on a pan-tilt base and, of course, AI to recognise “people, pets and key events.” Ugreen is also offering a tablet, the SynCare Smart Display, a “home hub” to let you manage your cameras from a single place in your home. 

The company is quick to highlight the major benefit of an at-home system like this, which is no need to pay for a monthly subscription. And, of course, that the footage from your home stays inside your home at all times, making it a better option for those folks who value their privacy. Sadly, Ugreen isn’t ready to share pricing or availability information for the series, saying it’ll be available in the back end of 2026.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/ugreen-launches-a-smart-home-security-platform-at-ces-130000389.html?src=rss

I’m seeing a ton of smart bird feeders again this year at CES — and I’m inexplicably drawn to them. Perhaps because the idea of birds nibbling on seeds and flying away represents a natural purity and freedom that doesn’t exist within the halls of CES. Birdbuddy was one of the first smart bird feeder brands, with a wildly successful Kickstarter back in 2020. And this year, they’ve added birdsong to their species identification capabilities.

Two new feeders, the Birdbuddy 2 and the Birdbuddy 2 Mini both have the new feature, but the latter is a more affordable, starter version. The Bird Buddy 2 is solar-powered with built-in panels. It’s slightly larger and has a bigger seed capacity, too. Both have HD cameras you can manually position either vertically or horizontally and both have a mic to help with birdsong IDs.

Upgrades to the cameras include a faster wake-up time when a bird lands and the housing for the seed and camera has a more modular design that makes the feeder easier to clean. The lens is now protected by Gorilla Glass, which may seem excessive, but Rhian Humphries, Birdbuddy’s senior PR manager, said curious birds often peck at the camera looking for more food.

The AI Birdbuddy uses was trained on real bird visits and at the end of each day, you’ll get a “postcard,” a curated look at the birds that visited your feeder that day. Of course, the app can also alert you each time you have a feathered customer in your yard so you can tune into nature’s live feed and soothe your soul for a few.

The Birdbuddy 2 goes for $199. It sold out during the pre-order phase, and those units will ship in February, but more will be available in mid 2026. The Birdbuddy 2 Mini costs $129 with pre-orders opening in summer.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/birdbuddys-new-smart-bird-feeder-can-id-birds-by-their-songs-122000692.html?src=rss

Meta is pausing release of its Ray-Ban Display smart glasses to the UK, France, Italy and Canada due to "unprecedented demand and limited inventory," the company said on Monday at CES 2026. There's no new date for the expansion that was originally set for early 2026. "We'll continue to focus on fulfilling orders in the US while we re-evaluate our approach to international availability," Meta wrote on its blog.

Since Meta's display glasses first went on sale, acquiring them has been a challenge. They're not available online and can only be found in a limited number of retail outlets including select Ray-Ban, Sunglass Hut, LensCrafters and Best Buy locations in the United States. To buy them, you need to book an appointment for a demo at one those stores via Meta's website. Ahead of launch, Meta said it saw "strong" demand for demos with locations booked ahead for several weeks. 

There was optimism that availability would increase as the company expected buying options to "expand" the longer they were on sale. However, with the delay of the planned international launch, it appears that the company still has a mismatch between supply and demand. 

Meta's $799 Ray-Ban Display glasses are its first to incorporate a heads-up display and are also equipped with a camera, stereo speakers, six microphones, WiFi 6 and a finger tracking Neural Band controller. In her review, Engadget's senior reporter Karissa Bell noted that the Ray-Ban display "enables wearers to do much more than what's currently possible with [other] Ray-Ban or Oakley models" — provided you don't mind the look of the chunky, chunky frames. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-has-delayed-the-international-rollout-of-its-display-glasses-120056833.html?src=rss